The idea of a detox is alluring in the first week of a new year. After the holiday onslaught of booze and decadent treats, detox diets and supplements appear to offer a fresh start — a way to erase all traces of overindulgence.

Some detox plans and products specifically claim to detoxify the liver, the organ that processes medicines and filters out toxins, among many other critical functions. But promises of a "cleaner" liver through detoxing are more hype than substance, experts say.

Here's you shouldn't undertake a detox for your liver — or your body in general — in 2019.

Detox products and diets aren't necessary

You don't need to eat a certain way to detox your body. Creative Family/Shutterstock

If you're healthy, your body is already removing toxins for you.

"Our body is able to cleanse or detox itself by using normal bodily functions," registered dietitian Rachael Harley previously told INSIDER. "When we breathe, when we go to the bathroom, when our liver is functioning — the body does all the cleansing and detoxifying itself. There's no need to follow a certain diet plan to do that."

The work of detoxifying is primarily done by your liver and your kidneys. The kidneys filter blood, removing waste and extra water to make urine. The liver converts toxins into harmless substances or ensures that they're excreted from the body. Together, they keep removing toxins whether you sip green juice or not.

Though the detox industry is "booming," the authors wrote, "at present, there is no compelling evidence to support the use of detox diets for weight management or toxin elimination."

It's also difficult to test the often-vague promises made by detox diet marketers.

In medical settings, the word "toxin" typically refers to drugs or alcohol, according to the paper. But in the world of detox diets, "toxin" is not so clearly defined. It could refer to anything from pollutants to synthetic chemicals to processed foods.

"Commercial detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the mechanisms by which they eliminate them, making it difficult to investigate their claims," the authors wrote.

"A lot of clients who have done cleanses or detoxes in the past have told me how they felt very low energy, fatigued, that it increased moodiness, that they felt more depressed," Hartley added. "And a lot of that has to do with the fact that their brain is eventually being starved for nutrients."

Detox supplements can be risky

Supplements may cause harm. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDER

Diets aren't alone in making grandiose detox promises. Some over-the-counter supplements also claim they can cleanse the liver.

But some dietary supplements may actually cause harm to the liver, leading to drug-induced liver injury, according to Johns Hopkins.

Next, skip behaviors that increase the risk of getting viral hepatitis, like using illicit drugs or having unprotected sex with multiple people.

And finally, if you have certain risk factors, like excessive alcohol use or a family history of liver disease, ask your doctor about screening tests, since chronic liver diseases may progress for years before they're recognized.